NIH awards a grant to study marijuana and opioid addiction, the head of the NBA hints at a more relaxed approach to pot, Utah activists are ready to begin signature-gathering for a medical marijuana initiative, and more.

[image:1 align:left]National

Last Wednesday, the NIH awarded a grant to study marijuana and opioid addiction. The National Institute of Health last week awarded a $3.8 million grant to researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System to study the effects of medical marijuana on opioid use and addiction. The study will examine chronic pain patients suffering from HIV in hopes of developing rigorous evidence to back a growing number of anecdotal claims that marijuana can reduce the resort to opioid pain relievers and treat the associated pain.

On Sunday, the head of the NBA hinted at a new openness to examining medical marijuana. National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner Adam Silver, who has been a staunch foe of relaxing the league's marijuana policy, hinted on a recent trip to Israel that he may be changing his mind. When asked by a reporter about whether the NBA would follow the more pot-friendly NFL's lead, Silver responded thusly in remarks quoted by Uproxx: "I would say it's something we will look at," Silver said. "I'm very interested in the science when it comes to medical marijuana. My personal view is that it should be regulated in the same way that other medications are if the plan is to use it for pain management. And it's something that needs to be discussed with our Players Association, but to the extent that science demonstrates that there are effective uses for medical reasons, we'll be open to it. Hopefully there's not as much pain involved in our sport as some others, so there's not as much need for it."

Arkansas

Last Friday, state officials reported no grower or dispensary applications yet. With the state halfway through its application period for medical marijuana grow and dispensary licenses, state officials said that they had yet to receive any applications, but they weren't worried. "We are not concerned, as we understand the applications require detailed and specific information that will take time to complete," Department of Finance and Administration spokesman Scott Hardin told the Associated Press. "Applicants are likely performing their due diligence to provide quality applications." The deadline for applications is September 18.

Connecticut

Last Tuesday, a federal judge ruled a job applicant not hired because of medical marijuana can sue. A federal district court judge in New Haven ruled that a woman who was using medical marijuana in compliance with state law can sue an employer who rescinded her job offer after she tested positive for marijuana. The woman had previously disclosed her medical marijuana use and had quit her former job when, one day before she was supposed to begin her new job, the company notified her it was rescinding the offer. The ruling echoes one last month in Maine's Supreme Judicial Court, and may signal the beginning of judicial recognition of the employment rights of medical marijuana users.

Hawaii

Last Saturday, the state's first dispensary was temporarily shuttered by bureaucratic delays. Maui Grown Therapies, the state's first permitted medical marijuana dispensary, had to suspend sales just five days after opening due to supply issues because of delays at the Hawaii State Labs Division. The dispensary was set to begin sales to walk-in customers Monday, but now has to hold off until, it hopes, Wednesday.

Maryland

On Monday, regulators approved eight more cultivation licenses. The state's medical marijuana regulators on gave final approval for licenses for eight medical marijuana cultivation companies. Previously, only one grower had received a license. More growers are needed to provide product for the state's anticipated 102 dispensaries.

New York

Last Thursday, regulators proposed new regs to expand the medical marijuana program. The state Health Department has released new proposed regulations that would ease access to the program. Among the proposals are reducing security requirements for registered groups, shortening the length of the course doctors must take to be able to recommend medical marijuana, and allowing two more types of marijuana products to be sold.

Maine Legal Pot Sales Won't Meet February Deadline. The legislative committee tasked with implementing marijuana legalization finished its preliminary work Tuesday, but with the committee's recommendations still having to be turned into a draft bill to be debated by legislators, the agencies that will oversee the recreational market will not be able to meet a February deadline for opening pot shops, committee co-chair Sen. Roger Katz (R-Augusta) said.

Oregon Becomes Latest State to Defelonize Drug Possession. Governor Kate Brown (D) signed into law on Tuesday a bill that defelonizes the possession of personal amounts of all drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Possession of small amounts will now be a misdemeanor. The new law takes effect immediately. [Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly described the law as decriminalizing drug possession.]

International

Iran Parliament Moves to Reduce Drug Executions. The Majlis on Sunday passed a long-discussed amendment to the country's drug laws that would limit imposition of the death penalty in drug trafficking cases to those involving more than 110 pounds of opium or more than 4.4 pounds of heroin, morphine, or cocaine. Iran carried out more than 500 executions last year, most of them for drug offenses, making it one of the world's leading executioners. An estimated 5,000 people are on death row for drug offenses in Iran, and the new law would save many of them from the gallows. But it's not a done deal yet: The measure still needs another parliamentary vote and then must be approved by the council of clerics.

Philippines Police Kill 32 in Drug Raids, Earn Praise from Duterte. In one of the bloodiest operations of a very bloody war on drug users, police killed 32 people on Monday in raids in Bulacan province. Police were doing a heck of a job, Duterte said in remarks reported by France 24 TV: "The ones who died recently in Bulacan, 32, in a massive raid, that was good," Duterte said. "If we could kill another 32 everyday, then maybe we can reduce what ails this country."

Belize Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Set for Parliament. An amendment to the country's Misuse of Drugs Act that would decriminalize the possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana is set to be filed in parliament on Friday, according to committee members and Solicitor General Nigel Hawke. The proposal has been in the works since 2015, when legal drafting got underway.

It's the mid-August doldrums, but the FDA has opened public comment on whether and where to schedule a bunch of new drugs -- and CBD! -- under the international drug control treaties, the NBA's commissioner hints he's softening his stance on marijuana, and more.

[image:1 align:right caption:true]Medical Marijuana

NBA Head Hints Openness to Examining Medical Marijuana. National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner Adam Silver, who has been a staunch foe of relaxing the league's marijuana policy, hinted on a recent trip to Israel that he may be changing his mind. When asked by a reporter about whether the NBA would follow the more pot-friendly NFL's lead, Silver responded thusly in remarks quoted by Uproxx: "I would say it's something we will look at," Silver said. "I'm very interested in the science when it comes to medical marijuana. My personal view is that it should be regulated in the same way that other medications are if the plan is to use it for pain management. And it's something that needs to be discussed with our Players Association, but to the extent that science demonstrates that there are effective uses for medical reasons, we'll be open to it. Hopefully there’s not as much pain involved in our sport as some others, so there’s not as much need for it."

Maryland Regulators Approve Eight More Cultivation Licenses. The state's medical marijuana regulators on Monday gave final approval for licenses for eight medical marijuana cultivation companies. Previously, only one grower had received a license. More growers are needed to provide product for the state's anticipated 102 dispensaries.

Drug Policy

FDA Opens Public Comment on New Drugs Considered for International Scheduling. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing a 30-day public comment period for persons or organizations wishing to weigh in on whether and where a number of unscheduled drugs should be included in the restrictive drug schedules of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The substances under consideration include several fentanyl analogs, some new psychoactive substances (AB-PINACA, AB-CHMINACA), pregabalin, tramadol, ketamine, and cannabidiol. You have until September 13 to file comments.

Marijuana is medicine
for millions of patients around the US.
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Federal opposition persists in spite of
successful medical marijuana programs in several states.
States, cities moving to allow medical use by those
in need.

The US Justice Department continues to stand between
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why this issue is so important.

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The US Justice Department is pressing forward with an aggressive
campaign to prosecute medical marijuana offenders in spite of
California's medical marijuana law (Prop 215)
and in defiance of efforts by local officials to support legal medicine for patients.
Targets have included prominent medical marijuana patients
groups, caregivers, and individual patients attempting to grow
medicine for themselves....
Click here for more.

The News, 14 Aug 2017 - Medicinal marijuana dispensary in Stellarton offers variety of products This isn't your grandma's home remedy. Although maybe it is - maybe your grandma is totally on board with medical marijuana taking away the aches and pains that can come with old age.

Metro, 14 Aug 2017 - Staff suggest HRM consider how to handle legalization Halifax is starting to think about how legal marijuana will roll out in the municipality. In a staff report coming to regional council's meeting on Tuesday, staff recommend starting the process to consider amending land-use bylaws to determine the best places for marijuana-production facilities and dispensaries in the municipality ahead of next summer's promised legalization.

Winnipeg Free Press, 14 Aug 2017 - IN his struggles to come up with a regime to control the sale of recreational marijuana, Premier Brian Pallister may have found a powerful ally. Shoppers Drug Mart. Despite a looming July 1, 2018 deadline to have a system in place, the province has been very reluctant to talk about how it would like to handle the production, distribution and sales of recreational pot. Last month, Justice Minister Heather Stefanson issued an expression of interest to find potential partners and solutions to handle all aspects of legalized marijuana.

Philadelphia Daily News, 14 Aug 2017 - In response, pot-legal states are trying to clamp down on "diversion" even as U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions presses for enforcement of federal laws against marijuana. Tracking legal weed from the fields and greenhouses where it's grown to the shops where it's sold under names like Blueberry Kush and Chernobyl is their so far main protective measure.

Toronto Star, 14 Aug 2017 - Mental health group recommends strict rules on legalized weed sales When it becomes legal next July, recreational marijuana should be sold with more restrictions than that other weed - tobacco - says the Canadian Mental Health Association's Ontario branch.

Hamilton Spectator, 12 Aug 2017 - Supporters vow to fight bid to permanently close businesses "They are looking to set a precedent. I hope they do..." - Britney Guerra, Cloud Nine Owner The city is escalating its battle with illegal storefront pot shops by seeking a court injunction to shutter a popular downtown dispensary and vapour lounge.

Prince George Citizen, 10 Aug 2017 - Part one of two RCMP are still making pot arrests, in Prince George, in 2017, less than a year before marijuana becomes legal in Canada. It'd be funny if it wasn't so silly.

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Aug 2017 - In 2015, Gov. Greg Abbott signed the first bill allowing any growing or sale of marijuana in Texas. The Texas Compassionate Use Act legalized the selling of a specific kind of cannabis oil derived from marijuana plants for a very small group of customers: epilepsy patients whose symptoms have not responded to federally approved medication. Two years later, Texans still can't legally buy cannabis oil, but a handful of companies believe they are weeks away from receiving the official go-ahead to become the state's first sellers.

The Blade, 11 Aug 2017 - The site of the proposed warehouse is vacant land at Jason Street and Cassandra Drive. A Cleveland-based company that has applied for a state license to grow medical marijuana won approval Thursday from the Toledo Plan Commission to build a 60,000-square-foot cultivation warehouse near Alexis Road and Suder Avenue.

Medical Marijuana

Since 1996, ten states have legalized medical
marijuana use: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ME, NV, OR, VT and WA. Eight of
the ten did so through the initiative process, Hawaii's law was enacted by
the legislature and signed by the governor in 2000, and Vermont's
was enacted by the legislature and passed into law without the
governor's signature in May 2004.

The Institute of Medicine's 1999 report on medical
marijuana stated, "The accumulated data indicate a potential
therapeutic value for cannabinoid drugs, particularly for symptoms
such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite
stimulation."

The Institute of Medicine's 1999 report on
medical marijuana examined the question whether the medical
use of marijuana would lead to an increase of marijuana use
in the general population and concluded that, "At this
point there are no convincing data to support this concern.
The existing data are consistent with the idea that this would
not be a problem if the medical use of marijuana were as closely
regulated as other medications with abuse potential." The report
also noted that, "this question is beyond the issues normally
considered for medical uses of drugs, and should not be a factor
in evaluating the therapeutic potential of marijuana or
cannabinoids."

In the Institute of Medicine's report on medical
marijuana, the researchers examined the physiological risks of using
marijuana and cautioned, "Marijuana is not a completely
benign substance. It is a powerful drug with a variety of effects.
However, except for the harms associated with smoking, the adverse
effects of marijuana use are within the range of effects tolerated
for other medications."

The Institute of Medicine's 1999 report on medical
marijuana examined the question of whether marijuana could
diminish patients' immune system - an important question when
considering marijuana use by AIDS and cancer patients. The report
concluded that, "the short-term immunosuppressive effects
are not well established but, if they exist, are not likely great
enough to preclude a legitimate medical use."

"Conclusions: Smoked and oral cannabinoids did not seem to be
unsafe in people with HIV infection with respect to HIV RNA
levels, CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts, or protease inhibitor levels
over a 21-day treatment."

"This study provides evidence that short-term use of
cannabinoids, either oral or smoked, does not substantially
elevate viral load in individuals with HIV infection who
are receiving stable antiretroviral regimens containing nelfinavir
or indinavir. Upper confidence bounds for all estimated
effects of cannabinoids on HIV RNA level from all
analyses were no greater than an increase of 0.23 log10
copies/mL compared with placebo. Because this study was
randomized and analyses were controlled for all known
potential confounders, it is very unlikely that chance imbalance
on any known or unknown covariate masked a
harmful effect of cannabinoids. Study participants in all
groups may have been expected to benefit from the equivalent
of directly observed antiretroviral therapy, as well as
decreased stress and, for some, improved nutrition over the
25-day inpatient stay."

"Nevertheless, when considering all 15 studies (i.e., those
that met both strict and more relaxed criteria) we only noted that regular cannabis users performed worse on memory tests, but that the magnitude of the effect was very small. The small magnitude of
effect sizes from observations of chronic users of cannabis
suggests that cannabis compounds, if found to have therapeutic
value, should have a good margin of safety from a neurocognitive
standpoint under the more limited conditions of exposure that
would likely obtain in a medical setting."

Organizations that have endorsed medical access to
marijuana include: the Institute of Medicine, the American
Academy of Family Physicians; American Bar Association; American
Public Health Association; American Society of Addiction Medicine;
AIDS Action Council; British Medical Association; California Academy
of Family Physicians; California Legislative Council for
Older Americans; California Medical Association; California
Nurses Association; California Pharmacists Association;
California Society of Addiction Medicine; California-Pacific
Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church; Colorado
Nurses Association; Consumer Reports Magazine; Kaiser
Permanente; Lymphoma Foundation of America; Multiple
Sclerosis California Action Network; National Association of
Attorneys General; National Association of People
with AIDS; National Nurses Society on Addictions; New
Mexico Nurses Association; New York State Nurses Association;
New England Journal of Medicine; and Virginia Nurses Association.

A few of the editorial boards that have endorsed
medical access to marijuana include: Boston Globe;
Chicago Tribune; Miami Herald; New York Times;
Orange County Register; and USA Today.

Many organizations have favorable positions
(e.g., unimpeded research) on medical marijuana.
These groups include: The Institute of Medicine, The
American Cancer Society; American Medical Association;
Australian Commonwealth Department of Human Services
and Health; California Medical Association; Federation of
American Scientists; Florida Medical Association; and
the National Academy of Sciences.

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 established
five categories, or "schedules," into which all illicit
and prescription drugs were placed. Marijuana was placed
in Schedule I, which defines the substance as having a
high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use
in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under
medical supervision. To contrast, over 90 published reports
and studies have shown marijuana has medical efficacy.

On September 6, 1988, the Drug Enforcement
Administration's Chief Administrative Law Judge, Francis L.
Young, ruled:
"Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest
therapeutically active substances known....[T]he provisions of
the [Controlled Substances] Act permit and require the
transfer of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II.
It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for the
DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits
of this substance."

The DEA's Administrative Law Judge,
Francis Young concluded: "In strict medical terms
marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume.
For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response.
By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough
marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one
of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.
By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used
within the supervised routine of medical care."